Ore classifier



Aug. 27, 1929. F. B'. MCCONVILLE ORE CLASSIFIER Filed June 7, 1928 INVENTOR FRANCI$ BERNARD MCCONV/LLE ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS BERNARD McoonvI Ln, or rnmonron, nnrrrsn COLUMBIA, CANADA.

ORE CLASSIFIER.

Application filed June 7, 1928. Serial No. 283,664.

tion. In machines of this type as generally constructed, the bottom wallof the tank consists of an inclinedplane which is acted upon by a bank of rakes or scrapers having a limited movement in engagement with the bottom wall and a return movement in raised position. The ore acted upon being in a llquld state enables the coarser material which is moved upwards along the incline with one stroke of the scrapers to recede a portion of its upward travel When the scrapers are being returned to starting point. This objectionable feature is entirely overcome by my machine which provides for a definite upward movement of the ore at each stroke and no return of same on the return stroke of the scrapers, in fact, a positive movement of the ore is at all times provided which further prevents the coarser ore from accumulating at the lowest point of the tank and totally eliminates the breakages which are so common in machines now in general use.

he invention consists essentially of a tank having in inclined bottom wall provided with concave transverse pockets and a plurality of scrapers which are each moved in a circular path to remove the'material carried upon the floor from one pocket to another, as will be more fully described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which 4 Fig. 1 is a plan view of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view showing the action of the scrapers.

In the drawings l1ke characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

The numeral 1 indicates a tank having side walls 2, a sloping end wall 3 and an inclined bottom wall 4 which terminates at its upper end above a chute 5. A low dividing wall 6 extends along the longitudinal centre of the bottom wall and the spaces between it and the side walls 2 are fitted with a plurality of concave channels or pockets 7 Extending along the upper'edge of the end wall 3 is a sloping board 8 which serves to direct the overflow of fines into a suitable discharge channel, not shown. Extending transversely across the tank is an open sided launder 9 along whichthe ore is fed by a water flow into themachine.- A

pair of beams 10 extend from one side wall 2 to the other, which support a pair of longitudinally disposed beams llwhich form a bed for the-operating mechanism of the tank. Brackets 12 are fitted on oppositeside walls 2 for the purpose of supporting bearings 13. I Similar bearings are mounted upon the beams 11 in which a pair of shafts 14 havmg opposed cranks 15 r are journalled.

These shafts 14 are each fitted with gear wheels 16 which are driven from pinions 17 upon drive shafts 18 and 19 suitably journalled in bearings 20.; The shafts 18 and 19 are fittedat one end with sprockets 21 whichare connected together by an end less chain 22 thatythe drive from one of them may be communicated to the other.

A drive pulley 23i s fitted to the shaft 19 which is rotated from any suitable source of power. pair of cranks 15 is a rake or scraper frame generally indicated by the numeral 24, which consists of'a pair of light I beams 25 spaced apart and fitted withupstanding brackets 26 having at their upper extremities elongated slots 27 in which the cranks 15 are journalled, these slots being provided to enable the cranks to swing within their normal path oftravel in the eventof any obstruction being encountered by "the frames 2st" when on their .downward travel which might interfere with their proper movement. Fitted under the I beams '25 is a plurality of rakes or scrapers'28'whichare substantially semicircular in cross section and are preferably formed to the same radius as the concave pockets 7 of the bottom wall 4.

Having thus described the several parts Suspended from each coincidingof my invention I will now briefly explain its function.

The ore is washed along the launder 9 and .falls in a substantially even stream into the tank 1, the coarser ore immediately falls to the bottom carrying with it much of the fines'also, the bulk of the solids settling into the concave pockets 7 which are closest to the end wall 3. The cranks 15 swing about their orbits through the drive being com- ,municated to them through the gears 16 and the pinions 17 on the shafts 18 and 19, the

centrators or other suitable equipment. The

scrapers in following the curve of the pockets into which they dip, provide a positive nonreturn means of transferring the ore step by step, so that no return flow is possible and as the return, cycle of movement of the scrapers is being accomplished, the pockets under the launder are again allowed to fill. The action produced by the continuous movement of the scrapers, one set moving in one direction while the other is moving in the opposite direction keeps the fines in suspension and as the liquid pulp is being continuously fed into the machine a corresponding overflow must follow in which fines are passed out for further treatment, while the progressive action of moving the coarser material step by step upwards along the inclined bottom wall 4 must necessarily pro duce a continuous discharge of said coarser material into the chute 5 from the uppermost pockets 7. I

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An ore classifier comprising a tank having an inclined bottom wall provided with transversely extending pockets, said pockets being concave in cross section, a pair ,of cranks rotatably journalled above said bottom wall, a scraper frame, brackets projecting from the scraper frame and provided with elongated slots receiving said cranks therethrough and a plurality of scraper elements carried by said frame and 7 adapted to be moved in a substantially circular path by, means of said cranks, said scraper elements being engageable with the bottom walls of the pockets during upward movement thereof and being shaped to effect a tumbling actionof the material which is transferred from one pocket to another by the aforesaid upward movement of the scraper elements.

2. An ore classifier comprisinga tank having aninclined bottom wall provided with transversely extending pockets having upwardly facing concave bottom Walls, a plurality of elongated rake elements extending longitudinally of said pockets, said rake elements being transversely curved along a radius corresponding to the curvature of said pockets and arranged with the concave sides facing toward the upper end of said bottom wall, and means for operating said rake elements in a circular path whereby the said rake elements are caused to travel upwardly along the bottom walls of the pockets and are supported in elevated relation to the bottom walls of the pockets during return movement thereof.

3. An oreclassifier comprising a tank having a vertically inclined bottom wall provided with transversely extending pockets, said pockets being concave in cross section and arranged with the concave sides facing upwardly, a scraper frame a plurality of scraper elements consisting of elongated transversely curved plates having their upper edges secured to said frame with the concave sides of said plates facing toward the elevated end of said bottom wall, a pair of cranks journalled'inbearings carriedby the tank and brackets projecting upwardly from saidframe and provided with elongated slots receiving the cranks therethrough whereby said frame and scraper elements are supported for movement in a c1rcular path, the

arrangement being such that the scraper elements are engaged with and moved along the bottom walls of said pockets only during upward movement ofsaid elements.

Dated at Princeton, B. 0., this 17th day of May, 1928.

FRANCIS BERNARD MCCONVILLE. 

